Friday, June 30, 2006

Graceland, the VIP tour

As Debbie notes, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan was treated to a tour of Graceland today.

But *he* didn't have to stand in line for hours. (He did, however, have to stand for several souvenier photographs--a requirement (yes, requirement! we were forced!) for all visitors to Graceland).

He was greeted at the door not by an anonymous tour "guide" but by Priscilla and Lisa Marie.

He didn't have to wear headphones to hear what he was looking at, where to move next.

He got to *walk* on the shag carpet, not just look at it.

He even put on a pair of Elvis's sunglasses.

At least they didn't let him upstairs.

CNN offers some fairly unremarkable video, though it does include footage of Bush and Koizumi standing around in the Jungle Room.

Which leads me to say: it's all bleeding together, isn't it? Where does Graceland end and the Bush administration begin? According to CNN,

White House press secretary Tony Snow -- wearing gold-rimmed plastic sunglasses -- did his best, meanwhile, to fuel lingering conspiracy theories that the singer never died, saying that Bush and Koizumi were likely to go to Elvis' "alleged grave site."

Hiring a Fox news personality as a press secretary. Appointing a Goldman Sachs CEO as treasury secretary. (After John Snow resigned--perhaps to help reduce any confusion over the two Snows?) Entertainment and government, executive branch and private executives: it all bleeds.